The Phoenix
by CaptainKatie643
Summary: When the Italian spitfire, Veronica, finds herself captive to Vaas Montenegro, on the Rook Islands, Veronica figures out that perhaps she can escape her haunting past. With a little help, of course. With Veronica's little sister's life hanging over her head, the island's insanity and Vaas prying her fingers off of her hold on reality, will she survive? VaasXOC
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Far Cry 3**

_Phoenix: A symbol of new beginnings or rebirth, usually through fire and then rising up from their own ashes_

This…insanity…is never ending. There was never a period in my life when something wasn't chaotic. But if you would like for me to pick a time when things went from good to shit, then I would say when I drove myself and my baby sister so deep into debt we had to leave our home. Our home of two years. The place where things were getting better and our scars were healing. I actually liked it there but no, my stupidity caused us to leave.

We left on a huge plane with annoying tourists dressed in flowered shirts and sunscreen, we were going to Phuket. Do not ask me why, I do not know why. I didn't plan for us to stay for long, it was just a small stop before I got my shit together and we left for another place. But then things just sort of happened, like a chain reaction. I couldn't control it or stop it no matter how much I wanted to. But, before we get into that mess, let's start at the beginning.

My name is Veronica Cosima Vitale. My last name is my own and no one else's. My father's last name was Fiore as was my mother's, and my brother's and my sister's. I hated my father and I refused to have the same last name as that bastard. I am twenty-three years old and I am Italian even though I was born in New York. My grandparents moved from Italy to the US, having my father here. He met my mother and long story short, they moved in together and me and my siblings happened.

I learned English in school and learned Italian at home. Later in my schooling, I learned how to speak Spanish. My older brother, Mason Antonio Fiore, knew English and Italian. On the other hand, my younger sister didn't speak any other language than English.

My sixteen year old sister is Eden Chiara Fiore. Eden isn't old enough to change her last name and I didn't want to make the decision for her. Whenever I tried to talk to her about how she felt about it, she refused to bring up the topic of our father. I found it strange since she was so young when he was here. I think that she keeps the last name because it is something that reminds her of our mother. She died when Eden was five, I was twelve and Mason was fifteen. That sorry excuse of a father killed our mother. None of us ever forgave him for it.

Our father was never around much but when he was, he made our lives hell. I realize now that it was not ok but when I was a child, I assumed it was normal for a father to beat their child. My mother was around more than he was but she had to work her ass off just to keep us all alive. She would often stare at the kitchen table as if it would make food appear. We would stare with her sometimes, doing the exact same thing over and over again. But did it change anything? No.

Mason was like our mother, he was warm-hearted and soft. This was a good thing and a bad thing. Eden took after our mother as well except she looked like her. Eden had the same milk chocolate hair and the same sparkly blue eyes. Mason and I looked like our father, we had ebony black hair that rivaled the midnight sky and brown eyes that seemed to change from golden brown to black mud. I took after my father with his cold-heartedness and sometimes emotionless face. I always knew I had a small piece of my mother in me but I seemed to beat that part down until it almost no longer existed.

I noticed that Mason seemed to morph into a mini version of our father after our mother died. He would hit me too and yell insults at me that I didn't deserve. Eden was like a poor child lost in the dark, she walked amidst the damage done to this family without knowing how or why it happened. I had to guide her and make sure she stayed on the right path but while I concentrated on her, Mason slipped away from me. Each day, I found myself valuing Eden more and Mason less. I felt like it was my duty to keep Eden alive and healthy. I often had an empty stomach while hers was full.

As the three of us grew, I became exceptionally good at lying and stealing. It kept us alive by bringing food to the table. It was a dangerous game but I played it well. Mason did nothing to help us, he would disappear sometimes and I didn't see him often. I didn't mind, one less person to feed.

One night, my father didn't return home. I wasn't worried; he often didn't come home for a day or two and sometimes three. But after a week of him being gone, I began to worry. There was nothing I wanted more than to see him rot in hell but he was my father. I couldn't not worry about him. Mason didn't know anything about our father's whereabouts so we all just assumed he left us. We didn't hear about a death of anyone so we assumed he was still alive.

Mason was now the head of the family. He was eighteen years old and I was fifteen, Eden was eight. Things didn't really change after our father disappeared. Mason still didn't contribute and I still found us food. He became even more distant and violent. He didn't resemble our mother at all anymore.

Over the period of time from when my mother died to when my father left, something had changed inside of me. I became a stranger to myself and the people around me, I found myself not caring about many things that I should have cared about. I wasn't the one holding us together anymore. Eden was. My parents often made appearances in my dreams and every night my reaction was different. Sometimes I begged for them to come back, sometimes I screamed in fury at them, sometimes I smiled and hugged them. But they always just stared down at me with monotone faces.

Things were uneventful after that. Eden was maturing while Mason got worse. He was hooked on drugs and was often beat up or worn out when he returned home. He was more violent with me but I refused to back down from him. He started bringing his girlfriend Katherine around with him, she didn't like being his girlfriend but she couldn't escape him. I liked Katherine, she was nice and kind, she reminded me of our mother.

There was a time when Mason tried to sell me and Eden just for money to get more drugs. When I refused to "cooperate", he attacked me and tried to kill me. I was shocked at his actions and couldn't fight back. How could I hurt my own brother? Katherine had been there at the time and she fought for me. She's the one who took Mason away from us. She protected us. She killed Mason. I don't like to remember that time but Mason left his mark on me. I have a faded white scar that runs across the right side of my neck. It wasn't deep enough to kill me though and luckily, Katherine was there to help me. I hate that scar because it will be there for the rest of my life, it will make me remember.

After Katherine and Mason's fight, I packed me and Eden's bags and we left to live in Mexico. Katherine didn't want to come; she wanted to stay in New York. We stayed there for two years, I made good money off of small jobs or selling my artwork (art was one of my hobbies). I could never hold a real job. The past never stopped nagging at my brain. It was what caused my life to be a living hell. It always came back at random times. Flashbacks haunted me and left me in shock.

Those flashbacks followed me when we moved to Italy. We had to leave Mexico because Eden was struggling, she didn't speak any Spanish. We have been living in Italy for two years now and are considerably happy. Well, Eden is. The past continues to haunt me. I often have trouble functioning on some days, these spells last from a couple hours to a couple days. Nightmares happened often as well, it was always Mason, my father or even my mother.

But life was quiet and things started to look up for once. That is, until our main source of money had it with me not being able to pay back our debt. Everything seemed to tumble downhill all over again. Like a Jenga tower, you would stack up all of the wooden blocks with such care and precision but when one block was out of place or slipped, the whole tower went down. But in some cases, the one block that is out of place can be fixed or only shakes the tower, loosening the solidity of the blocks.

That was what that bastard did; he loosened the tower which affected everything else after that. Vaas Montenegro was the one who pulled out the block that was keeping everything together, it destroyed the tower completely. He ripped down the walls I had so carefully built. He unraveled my life completely. Yet, he seemed to set me free.

But as I said, let's start at the beginning.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Beginning

_Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?_

**Veronica's POV**

I pushed my way through the dancing crowd in a dimly lit club. Sweat and alcohol was heavy in the air and the music was pounding heavily in my ears. I became annoyed as I tried to find the VIP section with no success. I was supposed to meet an acquaintance, if you will, William Newton, here but I had never been to this particular club before so I had a hard time finding my way around. I was lucky enough to even get into this club. It was obviously for the upper class people of the city but with William's invitation, I was allowed in. He was also the owner of this club.

William Newton is a rich bastard who is the head of a very rich business here in Venice, Italy. I found it strange that he has his business here in Italy when he is British but I guess he can do what he wants. He _is_ a millionaire. He's been lending me money until I could get me and Eden back on our feet. But over the past two years here, I haven't really been able to adapt to anything. Mason still haunted my mind even though I hadn't seen him for four years and I couldn't shake the fact that I had done something horrible. Eden was the one making the most money out of both of us. I was glad that she had recovered from "the incident" so quickly while I still dwelled on it.

I didn't love Mason, don't get me wrong. But he was my brother and even after four years, I still feel like the incident happened just yesterday. But anyway, I was pretty deep in debt with William and I knew I was walking the edge with him. I wasn't sure how long he would let me keep borrowing money without paying it back and that's why I was so nervous about why he called me here tonight. I had a feeling it was about the money. He was a dangerous man with so much money he could never get in trouble for anything he did so I was always cautious around him.

I had brought Eden with me and she was waiting for me outside. I was a little unsure about leaving her alone, unattended, so I gave her a small knife to help keep her safe. I felt a little reassured even though I knew she probably wouldn't use it. She helped persuade me to leave her be, disliking the fact that I was always nervous about her being alone. I still valued Eden greatly and I didn't want to lose her.

I finally found one of the bars in the huge club and fought for a spot to have a chance to talk to the bartender. After fighting a few elbows and growling insults, both in Italian and English, I leaned in towards the bartender to ask for directions. I dismissed his seductive smirk and raised eyebrow with a roll of my eyes.

"What can I get you, _bella_?" asked the bartender with a very heavy Italian accent. He winked at me and continued on with cleaning a glass with a rag.

"_Sai dove la sezione VIP è?_" I yelled over the blaring music. The man nodded in understanding, seeming a bit surprised that I spoke Italian. He was probably surprised since he was so used to all the tourists who spoke only English. Of course there were other languages but English was the one that was most often spoken.

"_Sì, è lì in un angolo!_" he yelled back, giving me a small smile. I nodded and turned away, not bothering to return the smile. I shoved my way through the crowd once again but only this time, I knew where I was going.

I bumped into a couple that was grinding against each other in a way that made my lips quirk down in disgust. They didn't turn to apologize for running into me and I rolled my eyes before continuing on. When I finally made it to the roped off section, the two security guards there stopped me. I grew even more agitated and glared at the stone-like faces of the buff men. I was about to tell them that I was expected there but my boss' voice cut me off.

"Veronica, my darling. You finally came," he said, his voice raspy and deep. I could hear him perfectly over the pulsing music. William inhaled a hit from his cigar before blowing the fumes out of his nose. The smoke looked strange against the different colored lights of the club but they soon evaporated. He was sitting at a table with empty beer bottles, other empty glasses and cigars littering it. Two super model skinny girls with beautiful faces sat on either side of him, shot glasses in their hands. They wore short, sparkly dresses that looked expensive. They had smiles on their faces but when they spotted me, the smiles slid off their faces and morphed into glares.

I wanted to laugh as they cast disgusted looks at my clothing. I wasn't exactly dressed appropriately for this club. I wore jeans, a tight black tank top with a thin, purple jacket over it. My hair was just hanging loosely around my shoulders.

"Yes, you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked, walking past the security guards. I stood on the other side of the table and took a seat when William gestured to the chair across from him. He then shooed the two girls off and they cast me death glares while walking away and towards another part of the VIP section.

"Ah, yes. It's about your rather large debt," he said, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed way while I leaned forward. I cursed in my head and my eyebrows drew together in worry as I waited for the news. Instead of continuing, William offered me a half empty beer bottle that had been sitting on the table but I shook my head. He shrugged and put it back where it was. "I have never been one to cut corners so I'll just get straight to the point. I'm cutting you off, Veronica," he announced and I blinked. My teeth grit together as I processed the news. My hands clenched into fists but William didn't seem to be done. After he inhaled and exhaled some more smoke, he spoke.

"Long story short, you have to come up with the money in twenty-four hours or there'll be consequences. You remember Brutus and Danny, don't you?" William asked, giving me a cold smile while gesturing to his two personal bodyguards who were standing a little ways away. I hadn't noticed them before but I narrowed my eyes at them, they returned the glare. Brutus and Danny were these two huge bodyguards that were no brains and all brawn. They hated me and I hated them. We never got along when we were anywhere near each other.

William was obviously threatening to have me beaten or killed if I didn't get the money in time but he was talking about this like it was just rain on a sunny day. I bit the inside of my cheek as my mind raced. There was no way I could get the money in a couple months let alone twenty-four hours. Eden only made a fraction of the amount of debt we had, as did I. We had barely any money in the bank so there was no hope there. Perhaps I could find someone else to loan me money to get William off my back? No, that would just cause a bigger problem.

"I'm sorry, Veronica. But there's nothing I can do. I wish you the best and I'll see you in twenty-four hours," he said, clearly dismissing me but I refused to get up. This was unfair. He didn't need the money and he knew that there was no way that I could get the money in that amount of time. He was doing this to screw me over.

"You can't do this, William. You know damn well that it's impossible for that to happen. I can't get that damn money in twenty-four hours," I said angrily, letting my fist bang against the table. The liquid in some of the glasses shook and the glass clinked together. William didn't react; he just took another drag from his cigar and exhaled. I kept my enraged stare on him as he stayed completely calm.

"I said that there was nothing I could do, Veronica. Now, if you'll excuse me―" he began but I cut him off. I stood up abruptly and leaned over the table to glare at him.

"You know that I don't have the money, William. You can't do that," I growled lowly, pointing my finger at him but his suave expression wasn't affected. He snapped his fingers and I saw Brutus and Danny coming over to escort me out.

"Actually, I just did," William said and his bodyguards grabbed my biceps. "Stop by my office in twenty-four hours, Veronica. Or we'll come for you," he said and I cast him a murderous glare which he just smirked at. I ripped my arms out of Brutus and Danny's grips and gave them my glare as well. I walked out of the VIP section, a fuming expression on my face as I tried to leave the club as fast as possible while muttering curses in Italian under my breath.

This was not good. Not good at all. We needed to leave Venice and we needed to leave soon. Maybe we could just leave Italy all together just to be safe, maybe we'll just move back to the US or somewhere in South America. There was absolutely no way in hell I could be able to get that money on time and William would not be merciful. He didn't joke around when he threatened people. I exited the club, the air was warm and the night was young. The streets were flooded with tourists and native Italians as usual. It didn't take long for Eden's light brown haired head to end up by my side. We wordlessly began to make our way back to our apartment.

"So, what did the bastard want?" Eden asked, giving me a smile and I cast her a glare to scold her for her language. She shrugged sheepishly and the smile slid off her lips as she took in my sour expression.

"He wants the money I borrowed back in twenty-four hours or I'm dead," I said, my voice low so I wouldn't raise any suspicion to anyone listening to us. Eden's eyes widened in fear but I kept my glare ahead instead of looking down at her.

"What are we going to do?" she asked and I let out a frustrated breath from my nose, running a hand through my messy hair.

"We'll have to move again," I said and she nodded solemnly. She looked a little sad but then her bright blue eyes lit up in excitement. We had reached our apartment and I unlocked the door to let us in.

"Can we go to Thailand?" Eden blurted out and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, we don't have to live there. Maybe we can just visit or stop by. Please, Roni?" Roni was my nickname that almost all of my friends call me, it was short for Veronica. "Pretty please? I really, really, _really_ want to go. I've always wanted to go to Thailand," she pleaded with me as I turned on the lights.

Our apartment was as normal as could be; there was a couch, a kitchen table, a kitchen, a TV, one bedroom with two beds and one bathroom. I chuckled at Eden's enthusiasm and thought for a moment as I went through a cabinet, pulling out a wine bottle as well as a glass before pouring myself some of the wine.

"Maybe," I answered and Ede he smiled widely, beginning to dance around happily. "But I'll have to make sure we have enough money left over to find a place after we leave. Maybe I'll be able to scrape up some money while we're there," I told her even though I was mostly talking to myself. But my answer was enough for Eden. She squealed in delight before wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Roni! You are the best sister ever!" she exclaimed and I smiled, returning the hug with less excitement and patting her head. She then let go of me to start going on and on about the different places in Thailand we could go to and telling me about all the things we could do there. I took small sips of my wine as she talked, relaxing onto the couch. I had to cut her off after a few minutes because she wouldn't stop if I didn't.

"Alright, time for bed, Eden. I think you've had enough sugar for tonight," I stopped her and she opened her mouth with a worried expression but I prevented her from talking. "I'll schedule a trip and take care of everything, just go to sleep," I said, laughing softly at her.

"Ok, Roni. Thanks again, goodnight," she said, giving me a small smile. I stood to give her a hug and she wrapped her arms around my midsection. I held my fragile and childish sister in my arms before kissing the top of her head.

"You're welcome, Eden. Goodnight," I returned, watching her until she closed her door and the light disappeared from under her door.

I sighed, not sitting back down but taking a long drink from my wine. When it was all gone, I stared at the bottom of the glass with a disappointed stare. I caught the sight of myself in a mirror hanging on the wall and scowled at the reflection. I looked like a mess. My long, charcoal, loose curls were just hanging there limply like it was deflated and my chocolate, brown eyes looked exhausted. I needed sleep. But the fear of having another nightmare still plagued the back of my mind.

I shoved the thought away and refilled my wine glass and got my laptop out, knowing I had to make the flight reservations. The bright light from the screen helped keep me awake while the alcohol had the opposite effect.

~o~0~o~

"_Mason, stop chasing your sister," my mother's voice scolded as Mason chased me around the house. I was laughing and screeching in joy as I weaved in and out of furniture and rooms. When we ran into the living room, he tackled me to the floor at my mother's feet. _

"_Ah ha! I got you now, you dirty criminal!" Mason shouted out, pulling my hands behind my back to pretend to handcuff them together. I lay on my stomach while wearing a monotone expression as I was arrested._

"_Can I be the police now?" I whined while Mason did a pat down as if I had weapons hidden in my clothes. Even though it was fun being chased, I hated always ending up losing and being arrested. _

"_No, I'm older than you so I get to be the police," Mason justified and I felt his weight lifted off of me as my mother pulled him up. _

"_Both of you stop it now before your father comes home. You know he doesn't like you all running around like madmen," my mother said, pulling me to my feet as well. She sat back down on the couch and pulled Eden into her lap, going back to playing with her hair. _

_I always loved it when my mother played with my hair, I enjoyed watching her do it too but it wasn't as fun. She always wove hair into these intricate little braids or she would twist it into a pretty bun or she would do something I would never think was possible. I jumped up on the couch to sit and watch her play with Eden's hair; Mason picked up a nearby wooden sword and began to swing it around as if he were Prince Charming going to slay the dragon. _

"_Mommy, can you teach me to do hair like that someday?" I asked, watching her delicate fingers loop hair in and out of each other. She chuckled and smiled softly._

"_Of course, Veronica," she answered as if it were something that she was going to do all along. A look of fascination was on my face as she started over and did a whole different style on Eden's head. Eden's hair grew fast and even though she was only three, her hair was long enough to play with. My hair grew fast as well and it was hanging down my back and it was due for a trim soon. _

"_Mom? Why do people do bad things?" Mason asked suddenly and my mother's hands hesitated for a moment before continuing. He hadn't paused in his swordplay and continued to stab the air at invisible pirates. _

"_What people, Mason?" she asked, my eyes didn't stray from Eden's head. _

"_You know, like criminals and bad guys," he explained, his tone of voice annoyed as if our mother should have known what he was talking about. _

"_Well, sometimes, people feel the need to do it because they want to, or they think it's right or they don't have a conscience," my mother explained and my eyebrows drew together in confusion._

"_What's a…con…consi…consence?" I asked, trying to pronounce the word correctly without sounding stupid._

"_It's conscience, dummy," Mason retorted and I glared at him, sticking my tongue out at him. He returned the gesture but our mother ignored us. _

"_A conscience is something that tells people what's right and wrong," my mother explained and my eyes widened in realization._

"_Oh! Like in Pinocchio! Pinocchio has a conscience," I exclaimed and my mother nodded, smiling softly in amusement. _

"_Yes, like Pinocchio. So you better listen to your conscience or you will turn into a donkey like Pinocchio did," my mother said and my eyes widened, Mason's did too while Eden looked confused. _

"_I will, I'll be good, Mama. Don't worry. I don't want to be a donkey," I said quickly and she chuckled about something I didn't know about. Mason nodded his head quickly too, horrified by the idea of turning into a donkey. Eden copied us even though she had no idea what was going on. _

"_Good, now go play in your room now before your father comes home." _

~o~0~o~

Our trip to Phuket was quick and easy. I scheduled a trip for the next day (before falling asleep on my laptop) and we packed our bags as fast as we could in the morning. We were off to the airport without a second thought. I didn't run into William at all which calmed me but I wasn't comfortable until the plane landed in Phuket.

When Eden and I arrived, we found a kind man who said he had an apartment for us to stay in. He seemed kind enough to trust but he was a little crazy like an old person would be. Eden liked him and trusted him right away like she always did with new people. I sometimes wondered if that girl even took precautions to anything. He told us to call him Mr. Chai and his real name was too long and intricate for me to remember. Mr. Chai helped us get all of our luggage to the apartment and it was actually pretty nice there compared to what I expected.

Mr. Chai had a daughter, she was a cute, little, ten year-old girl named Kulaya who seemed like she didn't have a care in the world. It worried me about staying near this man but he didn't pose any threat that I could see and plus, he had a daughter. I decided to go along with Eden and be grateful that he had given us a place to stay. Eden seemed to be having fun bonding with Kulaya didn't know English. It was almost funny to watch Eden try to explain something to Kulaya or Kulaya explain something to Eden.

The weather was perfect and the day was only late morning since the trip was an overnight one. The sun was out and a soft breeze kept the temperature perfect, a couple clouds dotted the sky providing some shade for a couple minutes. For the first time in awhile, felt relaxed and not in danger. Here in Phuket, no one knew my name and I wasn't in debt with someone. Eden was safe as well which made it all the better. The feeling of paradise only increased after we got everything set up in the apartment with Mr. Chai and Kulaya's help.

"Now that you are all settled in, Veronica and Eden." Our names sounded funny with his accent. "I would suggest some activities you could do so you could get to know the area better. The weather is beautiful, might I suggest a boat ride that is leaving later today with a couple of other tourists?" Mr. Chai said and Eden' face lit up. She turned to me with a hopeful look on her face but I hesitated.

A boat ride didn't sound too bad, it seemed pretty relaxing and since it was with other tourists, it wouldn't hurt. I could trust Mr. Chai, he has been nice and respectable the whole time we've been with him and Eden seems to really want to go.

"That sounds fun. What time is it at?" I asked and Eden' smile got even bigger. Mr. Chai nodded with a friendly smile on his face.

"It should be in an hour. I will come and get you to take you to the boat," Mr. Chai said and with another nod of his head, he turned to leave. Kulaya trailed behind him, asking her father something in Thai.

"This is going to be so much fun, Roni! We can go swimming and get tan and go sightseeing and do all those things tourists do!" Eden exclaimed as we began to sort through our bags to find our bathing suits.

I scoffed at her excitement but couldn't help but smiling a little bit. We had some time before we had to leave so we spent it unpacking. I even took a shower, which seems silly if you're going to go out on the water but I felt gross after the long plane ride. My hair air-dried quickly in the warm air so it was back to its normal curls and waves.

When we were ready to go, we were both in bikinis but I had on a loose tank top with short jean shorts while Eden wore a cute sundress. I made sure that I had a bag with a change of clothes for us just in case we needed them along with some random other items you might need while going on a boat ride. I considered bringing a weapon with me, maybe a small knife, but I shook the thought from my mind. Why would I need a knife?

"You ready, girly?" I asked Eden, putting my sunglasses on top of my head. Eden answered me with an excited hum and I made sure our apartment was locked as we left. Mr. Chai and Kulaya were waiting for us outside and we readily followed them to where the boat was.

It wasn't a long walk but we enjoyed seeing what we could while walking to the docks. When we got there, I could see that the boat itself was pretty big. It impressed me how big the boat was but I didn't dwell on the fact. I could see that there was already people on it, tourists like us. There was a man and his wife, two young men who looked my age and a woman and her child.

The man and his wife looked to be happily wed; perhaps this was their honeymoon. The tender kiss they shared made me look away as I thought of my mother and father. The two young men looked like they were either just out of college or a bunch of young idiots looking to travel the world. They could've been brothers by the way they elbowed each other and laughed but they looked completely different. They reminded me of Mason and myself. The woman and her child looked happy as well, the child was looking over the railing of the boat to try and see something while his mother held onto him with a worried expression. They reminded me of my mother and myself.

The men who were working on the boat helped us on and welcomed us aboard before getting back to getting the boat ready. We were the last ones to board the boat so we didn't have to wait long for the boat to start moving. I took a seat like everyone else did with the exception of the woman and her child and Eden. Eden stood at the railing, her dress fluttering in the wind, as did my tank top. A smile curved at my mouth while Eden and the child laughed as the boat bounced or they managed to get sprayed by the sea.

The boat slowed down to a stop to let us relax and they even let us swim. I planned to stay dry but I took my tank top off to try and get some sun. While everyone prepared to jump in, one of the men came up to me with a nonchalant smirk on his face. I would admit that he was handsome; he was muscled and toned and so was his friend. But his friend hadn't approached me and he wasn't in sight.

"Hey, you going swimming?" he asked me and I looked over at the water with a shrug.

"Eh, I'm not sure. Why? You going?" I responded, ignoring his smile.

"Totally, the water's perfect here," the man said as if the answer was obvious. "My name's Drake by the way," he held out his hand for me to shake.

"Veronica," I responded, shaking his hand in slight amusement. I always found shaking hands strange, it just never made sense to me.

"Come on, you _have _to come swimming," Drake said and I bit my lip while watching the woman, her child and Eden jump in the water. Eden swam around with the child, helping the mother teach him how to swim. The couple didn't jump in; they hadn't dressed for the occasion.

"Alright," I said, smiling slightly as I stood. I slipped my shorts off before walking to a little platform on the end of the boat. I heard a battle cry of excitement and I turned to see Drake running toward the platform before launching himself off the edge and into the water. I couldn't help but laugh and he gestured for me to come in when he came up for air.

I let out my own battle cry and dived into the water. When I came up for air, Drake was smiling and I laughed. My laugh wasn't really one that had a point, I just laughed to laugh. I heard another howl and turned to see Drake's friend jumping into the water. I hid my face as his splash hit me, laughing with them while we treaded in the water. I usually would have shaken my head at their childishness but I needed to let go and have fun.

"Veronica, this is Jaime. He's my friend from college." Drake introduced us and we both said hello to each other. "We're here on vacation, what are you here for?" Drake asked as we swam back up to the platform.

"I'm here with my little sister." I pointed to Eden who was still playing with the child. "We just moved here but its temporary," I explained, climbing up the ladder to get back up on the platform. Drake followed.

"That's cool. Want to have a contest to see who can touch the bottom and come up first?" Drake asked and I agreed.

We spent most of the day swimming and getting to know each other. By the time it was about time to go back to Phuket, I would say that I liked him in a friendly cute way. I had gotten to know Drake pretty well, he was from America and he and Jaime were visiting Phuket as a celebration for finishing college. He even invited me to go to dinner with him when we got back to Phuket.

Just as everyone set in for the ride back to shore, a looming, black, storm cloud began to make its way towards us. It covered the sun and thunder rumbled, the electricity in the air was enough to make your hair stand on end. I hadn't seen the cloud before but it was moving fast and right at us. The wind picked up and the boat began to rock with the growing waves. The men working on the boat pretended to look calm but I could see the worry on their faces.

"Roni, what's going on?" Eden asked, drying her hair in her towel. I glanced at the sky again and then back at the crew who was trying to get the boat started.

"I don't know, go put a life jacket on," I directed and Eden scowled but did as I said. It was worrying me that they wouldn't be able to get the boat started and we'd have to sit in a storm but relief flooded through me as the engine rumbled to life under my feet.

The boat was moving slowly due to the powerful washes crashing into the sides and I could see that we weren't going to outrun this storm. Rain began to pound down onto the boat and everyone ran for cover. I ushered Eden inside as lightning flashed above us but then stayed out to watch the big waves crash over the sides of the boat with awe. The floor rocked beneath me and I knew I should go inside but I kept stumbling and falling.

"Veronica!" I heard Drake's voice shout and I looked up from my spot on the floor to see a huge wave coming towards the boat. I could see that it was going to engulf the boat and I wouldn't have a chance against it if I wanted to stay on the boat unless I made it inside.

The floor lurched under my feet again and I struggled to make it to Drake's outstretched hand and Eden's terrified face. But it was too late.

"Roni!" I heard Eden screech as the wave crashed onto of me.

I screamed as the wave pulled me off the edge of the boat. I hit my head on the railing as I went over and I grimaced, my vision went a little blurry as I fell into the furious ocean. I struggled to stay awake while the waves tossed and threw me. My body was being pulled in a thousand different ways at a time and I had to fight to get air. But as soon as I made it to the surface, a current yanked me under again or a wave crashed over me.

Water was rapidly flowing down my throat and my lungs burned for air. Every time I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, my head popped above water and I would cough up water and breathe in air before going under again. I lost track of time and I couldn't see anything above water thanks to the waves. I became exhausted from struggling to stay alive but thankfully, I found a piece of driftwood as the waves calmed and it was my salvage in this watery hell.

It was probably a couple hours until the storm had completely stopped and the sun began to peak out of the clouds like everything was ok. I had still gone under water while on the piece of driftwood so I was still soaked with seawater and rainwater both. My stomach was churning with seawater and I threw up, leaving the salty, dry taste in my mouth.

I was still tired from exulting so much energy so I laid my head down on the driftwood, ready to fall asleep. I can't fall asleep. I'll fall into the water and drown. I also needed to find the boat, if there even was a boat anymore. I needed to find Eden or someone who was on the boat to make sure they were ok. I needed to find help.

Despite what I needed to do, I felt my eyes sliding closed. A small wave splashed onto my face and my eyes flashed open. I was glad for the wake-up. I rubbed my eyes and coughed, my throat was still scratchy from the salt water. I scanned the horizon to look for any sign of Phuket or the boat and as I turned, I spotted something that I would never once think I would find.

It was an island. A white sand island with big mountains and most of it was covered in a vast green jungle. My eyebrows drew together in confusion. I didn't know that there was an island near Phuket. How far had I drifted away? Where was I? No one had ever said anything about an island. Maybe it was some kind of uncharted island. _Fucking perfect_. Out of all the things that happen, I find a desert island.

"Might as well swim to it," I said to myself. My voice grated against my ears and I coughed again. I knew I would need water soon. Maybe the island had a freshwater source somewhere.

I began the long journey to the island, using the driftwood as a float so I wouldn't sink. I was too tired to swim on my own. The sun was getting closer to the horizon and when I was about halfway to the island, I guessed that I would make it to shore right before sundown. And I was right. I let the soft waves help push me onto the sand and when I was half in the water and half out of the water I didn't bother to move any further.

I laid on my back and the water washed over my legs but I didn't care. I panted as I let my body relax and my muscles ached. Once again, my throat burned and I felt more seawater I swallowed coming up. I rolled over just in time to empty my stomach. I hoped that it was the last time that I would throw up. It was making me thirstier and my throat raw. I coughed and coughed before I relaxed.

My stomach clenched and I groaned, hoping I wouldn't throw up. I curled up into a fetal position and refused to move until the pain passed. When it did, I sighed in relief. I felt a whole lot better but the fear of being alone on an isolate island was creeping up on me. I slowly sat up, ignoring the sand that stuck to me and gazed around. I could see nothing but ocean for miles but when I looked to my right, I saw a pile of something floating in the surf.

My eyes widened and I hopped to my feet. Hope began to fill me as I imagined what it could be. Was it a person? Was it someone or something that could help me? Anything was better than nothing. I ran towards the strange thing but slowed down as I got closer.

"Hello?" I called, my eyebrow knitting together.

My jaw dropped when I realized what it was. There was red leaking into the ocean blue. It was one of the workers from the boat and a huge piece of metal was impaled through his stomach. I gasped at the horrific sight and stumbled backwards. I stared at the poor man, he was facing down in the sand so I couldn't see his face but I was glad. I took this as a bad sign. If a piece of the boat and one of the workers was dead and here, that meant that something happened to the boat. Something happened to Eden.

I put my hands on my hips and ran a hand over my hair to pull it out of my face. I couldn't even begin to comprehend the idea that Eden was dead but the evidence that she could be was right in front of me. I took back what I said before, nothing is better than anything.

"Hello?" I heard someone yell and I jumped, whipping my head to where the voice came from. It sounded familiar. "Is anyone here?" The voice yelled again and I felt my chest constrict in hope. It sounded like Drake but I couldn't be sure.

"Over here!" I yelled back, running back in the direction I came from. It was Drake, he came into sight and I waved to get his attention. "I'm here!" I yelled and Drake waved back to show that he saw me before running towards me.

"Veronica?" he called and I nodded my head vigorously, slowing to a walk as we got closer. "Veronica, you're alive!" he exclaimed with a wide smile and I let out a breathy laugh.

"Yeah, it's a miracle. I thought I was done for. What happened? Where are the others?" I asked and Drake sighed. I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"The boat was torn to pieces after you fell off. I don't know what happened to the others but we were all separated. I'm not sure who made it," he explained and I nodded. This could be a good thing, if Drake made it that meant that Eden could have made it.

"What happened to Jaime?" I asked, remembering his friend. A sorrowful look crossed his face and I prepared myself for bad news.

"I don't know. We tried to hold on but I saw him get sucked under," he said and I put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Your sister was very brave. She helped everyone as best as she could after you fell. You're lucky to have her," Drake said and I smiled softly, letting out a laugh through my nose.

"Oh Eden, you stupid girl," I said quietly with a humorless chuckle. She could have saved herself yet she chose to save others.

We gazed out at the ocean and the setting sun but I turned to Drake when I felt him touching my forehead. He pulled his hand away and I could see blood on it.

"Shit," I hissed, pressing my own hand to my forehead. "I hit my head on the railing of the boat when I fell," I explained, looking at my now bloody hand before pressing it back to my forehead.

"Yeah, I had a little run in with the rocks," Drake said sheepishly, lifting up the side of his bloody shirt. I gasped at his deep cuts from some rocks. I hadn't noticed his blood soaked shirt before so it was a surprise to me.

"Oh my God, are you ok?" I asked, reaching out to touch his wound lightly. He cringed and groaned so I pulled away. "Sorry! It looks really deep," I mused and he put his shirt back down.

"It's fine, it only hurts a little bit," he said, brushing it off but I could tell he was in pain. "I would say we should make camp but it's too dark to find any firewood." I nodded in agreement.

"But we need to find you some kind of bandage to put on that. It could get infected," I said, turning to walk towards the edge of the jungle. I could feel Drake's gaze on my back but I ignored him. I found a rather large leafed plant and tore off a couple of leaves before walking towards the ocean. "Lay down here on your side, I'll be right back," I ordered and Drake did as I said.

I walked to the water and soaked the leaves in the ocean for a few minutes. I hoped to wash off anything poisonous or any bugs and also to use the water as a glue and to clean Drake's wounds. I walked back over to him and lifted his shirt up.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, watching me cautiously as I prepared to put the leaves on his side. I scowled and pulled away.

"I'm going to put these on your cuts so they won't get infected," I explained with an annoyed expression and then tried to put the leaves on him again. This time, Drake pushed my hands away.

"With a fucking leaf?" he asked and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well do you have a better fucking idea?" I asked him, my voice rising in volume. Drake sighed but didn't answer me. I took his silence as a "no" and began to put the leaves on his side again. "Ok, this might sting a bit," I warned him before putting the leaf on his side. He winced and tensed up so I hurried to put the rest on. When I finished, he relaxed and I backed away.

"Thanks," he said and I nodded, taking a seat next to him. I wrapped my arms around my knees and stared out at the space where the sun used to be. It was silent between us and the sound of the water washing up and then back on the sand calmed me. Still, the anxiety of where Eden was lurked beneath my façade of serenity.

I was about to zone out in an attempt to numb my mind but I felt Drake tugging on my arm so I turned to him. He had a salt-water soaked leaf in his hand and he pulled me closer to his face. I gave him a confused look but held still.

"You took care of me now I'm going to take care of you," he said and began to dab my forehead with the leaf. I wanted to laugh at this, surely he was just smearing the blood everywhere and my wound didn't really need cleaning. But I held perfectly still, staring at the sand.

I hadn't realized he was done and when my gaze flickered up to meet his, I realized how close we were. I pulled away with a soft blush on my cheeks and I cursed myself for it. Drake looked slightly offended and possibly a little embarrassed himself. I wrapped my arms around my knees again and stared at the ocean. It was quiet for a few moments before I spoke up.

"Do you think she's dead, Drake? She can't be dead. It's not possible. She can't be dead," I rambled with the anxiety clear in my voice. I was going to continue on but the tears in my throat made it hard for me to talk. They started to slip out of my eyes and Drake pulled me closer to him.

"She's not dead, Veronica. Don't worry, she's fine," Drake said quietly, pulling me against his chest. I let him and he wrapped his arms around me so that I was pressed against his chest. I was lying against him now and he continued to shush me.

I wasn't exactly comfortable in Drake's arms but it felt nice to have someone comfort me rather than me doing the comforting. I had forgotten what it was like. Eden was usually the one who needed to be comforted so this was strange for me. Being so close to Drake was a bit unnerving but I was too tired to say anything. I fell asleep embraced in Drake's arms and his soothing words whispered in my ears helped. Thoughts of Eden still lingered in my mind long after I slipped into the dark abyss of sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Complicated Meetings and Greetings

**Just a quick note: I changed the name of the story to The Phoenix, that's what I called it originally but decided to call it Clarity but now I'm changing it back! And also, I have a blog that has pictures of the face claims of this story! The link is on my profile and you should find the pictures under the page labeled The Phoenix. Oh, and if anyone was wondering, the name Roni is pronounced like Ronnie (rah-ni) **

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews!**

_Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted._

**Veronica's POV**

The cheery sound of chirping birds and waves greeted me when I opened my eyes. I squinted for a moment and let my eyes adjust to the bright sun before taking in my surroundings. Drake still encased me in his arms so I very slowly removed him off of me before sitting up. Drake didn't even stir so I left him to sleep.

The sun was already rising high in the sky but I didn't really care how late it was, I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. I needed a good night's sleep for once. But that feeling of happiness wore off as I remembered what happened yesterday and where we were. My stomach also rumbled and my tongue was dry, like sandpaper. We needed to find food and water soon. I figured I would wait to wander off in the jungle until Drake was awake so we could make a plan.

Drake was lightly snoring and he looked like he wasn't getting up anytime soon so I decided to go for a short walk down the beach. I slipped my still damp converse shoes off to let them dry and to let my feet sink into the soft white sand. I was still wearing my shorts and tank top over my bikini and I was glad, I didn't want to go parading around in just my bathing suit. My clothes were still slightly wet but I couldn't really bring myself to care.

I walked in the opposite direction of where I found the dead man; I didn't really want to see that again. I must have only walked a couple hundred yards before I saw something lying on the beach in the distance. My eyebrows crinkled in confusion before I realized it must be someone or something that washed up from the boat. I took off running as fast as I could with such low energy in hopes that it would be Eden.

I could almost feel my heart beat in my chest as I neared the person or thing. But my heart stopped completely when I saw who it was.

_Eden._

She was lying on her side, facing away from me. I could see blood staining the sand she was lying on and she didn't move. I couldn't even see her shoulders move as she breathed. She was wearing her dress and sandals still but her dress was ripped and torn. I couldn't see where the blood was coming from.

"Eden!" I yelled, sprinting the rest of the way to her. When I reached her, I knelt down next to her and rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were closed and it was clear she was passed out. "Eden, no," I whispered through my teeth as I pressed my ear against her chest. I was shocked to find that her heart was still beating. "Eden! Eden, can you hear me?" I called before beginning to do compressions against her chest.

I continued to do mouth to mouth and compressions but she still wasn't waking up. I panted and tears were drawing to my eyes as I prayed for her to be alive. I checked her body to see where the blood was coming from to make sure she wasn't passed out from blood loss but it was only a deep gash on her bicep. It didn't look like it lost too much blood so I assumed she swallowed too much seawater.

"Drake!" I screamed, hoping that he would her me and come help. I went back to doing compressions, counting the seconds. "Drake! I need help!" I screamed again and this time, he responded. My eyes were on Eden's blue lips, waiting to see her inhale.

"What? What is it?" Drake screamed back and I heard him running down the beach towards me.

"Come on, Eden. Come on. Just breathe. _Breathe,_" I ordered and just as Drake reached us, water spewed out of Eden's mouth. Her eyes flashed open and I was filled with relief. "Oh, thank God," I breathed and sat Eden up as she continued to cough. I rubbed her back and watched her to make sure she was completely conscious. Drake knelt down on the other side of Eden and he was breathing heavily from running.

"Ro…Roni," Eden managed to wheeze out but I just shushed her and pulled her into my lap. She began to sob into my chest and I stroked her hair to calm her.

"Shh, it's alright. You're ok, you're safe. Don't worry," I reassured her and she calmed down slightly. Drake watched with pitiful eyes but didn't say anything. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" I asked her and she shook her head quickly. "Ok, that's fine. This is Drake, he was on the boat with us," Drake gave her a friendly smile as she glanced over at him cautiously.

"Where are we?" Eden asked, coughing a few times and she looked around at where we were. She had completely calmed down from her tears and she sniffled before wiping her eyes. I slid her off of my lap and began to help her to her feet.

"We don't know. I think it's some desert island; I haven't seen anyone or anything since we got here. We've been here since last night," I explained, looking down at my tank top to see that part of it was stained with blood. It was from Eden's arm but I didn't mind it. When Eden was steady on her feet, I let go of her arm and reached down to rip off a piece of her dress. She watched me carefully but then realized that I was just wrapping her arm.

"We need to find food and water. Maybe some shelter," Drake said and I nodded, agreeing with him. "Let's split up, that way we will have a better chance of finding something," I nodded again and we turned to look at the vast jungle that looked like it never ended.

"Eden's staying here," I said and usually, she would be upset but I could see the fear in her eyes as she took in the jungle. "I'll go this way, bring back whatever you think is useful," I said and Drake agreed. "Don't move from this spot, Eden. We'll use you to know we're in the right place," I told her and she nodded, taking a seat on the sand.

"Alright, we'll meet back here as soon as we can. We can't carry too much," Drake said and I beginning to walk in the direction I said I would go. But Drake grabbed my arm to stop me. "Hey, be careful," he said and I nodded.

"You too," I responded before we went our separate ways.

~o~0~o~

_I had to bite my tongue to prevent from crying out as my father's hand descended onto my cheek. Tears formed in my eyes but I did not let them fall. I did not cower either when my father pressed his face close to mine. He didn't like it when you cowered. _

"_You're all such fucking disappointments!" my father screamed. I could feel spit flying off his lip and onto my downcast face. I flinched but my body was as still as a statue. "You weren't even supposed to be here! You were just a fucking accident!" he yelled at me and I tried as hard as I could to prevent the tears from coming but one rolled down my cheek anyway. I wiped it away as quickly as I could. "No one wanted you here, Veronica!" _

_I stayed silent as he continued to torment me; my eyes were on the floor the whole time. Mason stood next to me and looked down as well, he was flinching and wincing involuntarily while I was getting my father's wrath. My father went silent and glared down at me with such revulsion and disgust, I truly believed that I wasn't wanted here and that I was just a stupid mistake in the making of this family. Still, I held in my words of hatred that I longed to yell at him and my tears. They would only make things worse._

_My father turned to Mason who was trembling in fear. I was often annoyed at how scared Mason would get at things but now I only felt bad for him. He had attracted our father's attention and now he was going to get it. _

"_And _you_! You are so weak and wimpy! How the fuck did I get stuck with a son who is scared of everything?" he yelled and Mason shook with complete panic. I could tell he was trying to keep himself still and look brave but he couldn't. "Look at your sister! She just stands there and takes it. Here, watch. Maybe you can learn a few things," my father said and he turned to me. _

_I braced myself and my father's hand punched my opposite cheek. My face ached but I kept my mouth sealed shut and my tears in. I kept my eyes on the ground and acted like my father hadn't even touched me. _

"_See! Look at that, your nine-year-old sister can take better hits than you can! You're fucking twelve years old now, Mason! Be a man and stop acting like such a pussy!" he screamed before hitting Mason like he did with me. But he didn't hit him as hard as he hit me, I wasn't sure why. It made me jealous. Mason cried out and cradled his cheek while letting out a few tears, they were from pain and alarm._

"_Get the fuck out of my sight before I lose my temper! Your tears disgust me," my father spat, stalking away from us in his drunken stupor. _

_He didn't have to tell us twice, we were up in our room before our father reached the front door to leave. Mason plopped down on his bed with a saddened whimper; he was still holding his cheek like my father had put a branding iron on it. I was tempted to yell at him for being such a baby since our father had hit me harder but from the way he yelled at Mason, I decided I should just keep my mouth shut. I shouldn't beat a dead horse, at least that's what my mother would say._

_I stood in front of the small mirror we had and examined my face. On one side of my face, there was a small bruise on the apple of my cheek; it spread up so that I had a slight black eye. On the other side, I had a larger bruise so my cheek looked sunken in. I poked both bruises, flinching as pain surged through my face before joining Mason on the end of his bed._

"_It's alright, Mason. You're not wimpy. I think you're brave, like that time you got the basketball out of that mean Mr. Carpenter's yard because we were afraid to. That was brave," I said, trying to cheer him up but he didn't respond. "He doesn't hate you, Mason," I commented and that set Mason off._

"_He doesn't hate me?" he yelled, sitting up to face me. I jumped up off of the bed in surprise at his sudden action. "Didn't you just hear what he said to me? He absolutely hates me! He _loves_ you! He thinks you're way better than me and he thinks that you're tougher than me!" he growled, calming down slightly but that anger was replaced with sorrow. I blinked a couple times, not used to Mason blowing up like that._

"_He likes you more than me, Mason. He didn't hit you that hard," I stated, glancing at Mason's cheek in envy. There was barely a bruise there and I guessed that it would be gone by the next day or two while mine would last for maybe a week or more. Mason glared at me and put his hand over his cheek. _

"_Shut up, Roni! He hit me hard and you know it!" he yelled and I adverted my gaze to the floor while lightly touching my own bruised cheek. "Just stop talking about it, ok? Dad likes you better and you know it," he growled, lying back down again and facing away from me. _

_I sighed and dropped the subject. I would have continued to say that our father had said that I wasn't wanted here or that I wasn't supposed to be part of this family. And our father had just told Mason that he was wimpy. I would have given anything to hear those words shouted at me rather than being told I was unwanted and unplanned. _

_Still, I shut my mouth and lay down on my own bed, waiting for sleep to claim me. _

~o~0~o~

I shoved my way through the thick bushes of the jungle, trying to make my way back to the beach. I hadn't gotten lost so I had that to show for but the jungle was winning against me. I growled as a plant snapped back and hit me in the face.

I placed a foot forward only to find that there was nothing to stand on, so down I fell. I tumbled down a small dip in the land before rolling to a stop. I groaned and hauled myself to my feet, brushing off any leaves or dirt that had stuck to me. I checked a small scratch that was on my side from when I had accidentally fallen onto a pointy rock. My tank top was torn in a couple of spots but I kept it. It was better than getting hurt more and I felt better having more skin covered.

Luckily, I could see the beach through the trees so I made my way towards it quickly. I just wanted to get out of the confines of the jungle.

"I've had it with this bloody island," I growled as I burst through a bush that was preventing me from getting to the beach.

An annoyed sound escaped my mouth as I pulled a couple of leaves out of my hair but I froze when I looked up. Yet another thing I would never expect to see, was a group of red-clad men strolling around on the beach. They had guns strapped to their backs and in their hands; they obviously lived on this island but didn't look too friendly. Eden was exactly where she was supposed to be but she was tied up with her hands behind her back, she saw me and her eyes widened. I saw her mouth open but it was too late to stop her.

"Roni!" she called out and all the men turned and looked at me. My eyes widened at them and Eden snapped her mouth shut hastily, obviously regretting her mistake.

"There she is! Get her!" one of the men yelled and that set them all off. They reminded me of a bunch of bloodhounds running after a rabbit, making me the rabbit.

I stood in shock before turning on my heel and trying to run. The sand was uneven and shifted under my weight so I was slowed and I was also tired and weak from no food or water. I knew that they would catch up to me easily but I had to try. The men had high stamina and I could tell they must have been on the island for a while with food and water to be running this fast.

I was easily caught and I didn't fight against them while I tried to catch my breath. The men tied my hands behind my back like Eden and walked me back over to where they were before. The man who had given the order to get me had stayed where he was with a second man to watch Eden. He smirked at me as we got closer and I glared at him. Eden watched us with a concerned and cautious look.

"You're not going anywhere, girl," the man said and I assumed that he had a power over these men even though he was dressed the same as them.

Going against my better judgment and all common sense, I tried to yank my arm away from the man who held me. His grip slipped, my attempt being unexpected but the leader of the group ended up grabbing me before I could get away. His grip on my bicep was crushing and I could feel a bruise forming. I winced at the pressure as well as glared at the man's smug eyes.

"Don't even think about it, bitch," he growled lowly but just loud enough for anyone near to hear. I narrowed my eyes further at him but didn't make another attempt. I could feel Eden watching us with wide eyes. "By the time I'm done with you, you won't be able to remember your own name." He smirked as his gaze examined my body and his free hand caressed my cheek. Eden became even more fearful and I could see her leaning away from the men.

"Go to hell, asshole," I snarled at him, attempting to knee him between his legs but he avoided my hit. The man's expression clouded with anger and he raised his hand to backhand me across the face. I felt my eyes roll back into my head as I flew backwards, blood spraying from my mouth. I landed with a grunt on the sand before the man picked me up again, Eden whimpering quietly alarm. I grit my teeth at the pain of him yanking my arm but didn't open my mouth to say anything else.

"Shut the fuck up and don't disrespect me again," he growled but I gave him an impassive glare. The other men just glanced around in a bored way as if this type of thing happened every day. The leader shoved me into another man's grip and began to move towards an invisible path in the jungle. To where, I wasn't sure. The rest of the men followed with me and Eden in tow. I spat some blood onto the white sand, the red standing out against the white but I paid no mind, marching forward with a murderous glare on my face.

We trekked through the jungle, not stopping for anything even though we were thirsty and tired. I worried about Drake, would he return to the beach searching for us or did these horrible men catch him too? I was also worried about our fate, what was going to happen to us? And where were we? Why did these men live here? I never heard of an island like this one before that was close to Phuket.

Every once in awhile, I would be shoved for "moving too slowly" causing me to fall to the ground. I assumed it was because I tried to escape before and this was a punishment. I hurt my ribs on one of the falls. I landed on a sharp rock but the men just found it amusing that I was hurt. I was sore in that area for a little bit but I was pretty sure I hadn't broken anything. Eden wasn't shoved to the ground once.

Eden was doing fine; she wasn't hurt or touched which made me content. It just mattered that she was ok. I didn't know how long we had been walking but we finally reached our destination. It was a large compound infested with red clad men with guns. I assumed that this was their headquarters or their base of some sort as well as the place where we would be staying. If we were staying anywhere. We were brought into the compound and most of the men we walked by made rude comments about us.

"Hey, keep moving!" the man leading us yelled as we slowed down to try and take in our surroundings. Someone shoved me forward with the butt of his gun and I stumbled but managed to stay on my feet. Eden continued forward with me following her and I felt the eyes of the other red dressed men on both of us. I felt like the new kid in a school, everyone was curious yet not interested enough to do anything about it.

"We got a young one, don't we?" hummed a man, stopping Eden in her tracks and roughly grabbing her chin. Eden whimpered and I clenched my teeth in anger before swiftly kicking him in the side of the knee, causing his leg to bend the way it shouldn't have and there was an audible snap as his leg broke. He screamed in pain, falling to the ground causing the other pirates around to turn to us.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at what I just did and I was shocked at my actions. Yet I blamed it on the instinct to protect Eden. Eden looked shocked as well; she stared with a horrified expression at the man's broken leg.

"I…I―" A man cut off my babbling.

"You bitch," growled a nearby pirate, stalking towards me but I stood my ground with a defiant glare on my face. Eden hid behind me, peeking around me much like a shy child would. The man punched me across the face and blood dripped out of my nose and my cheek ached. I grunted in pain, gritting my teeth before glaring fiercely at the man in fury.

"_Figlio di una cagna_," I snarled viciously before spitting blood all over his face with as much hatred as I could muster. He growled in anger and went to punch me again but I managed to duck and avoided getting hit. It didn't do any damage to the man but it made him even angrier. He wrapped his hand around my throat and I could hear Eden pleading for their mercy as I tried desperately to breath.

"Aye! _Hermano_, enough," a new voice said and the man immediately released me. I fell to my knees, gasping for air and calming myself. I heard footsteps and then a pair of army boots were in front of me, I slowly looked up and found myself staring into the face of yet another pirate dressed in red.

This one seemed different from the others. He wore a red tank top which made him blend in yet he stood out. He wore dark green cargo pants and black army boots; there was a red piece of cloth tied around his bicep. He had a mohawk on his shaved head with a rather deep and large scar that cut across the side of his head. The scar itself stood out on his face and most of my attention was brought to it. The man was muscled and well-built; he looked well-nourished which was an obvious trait of survival in an unpopulated place such as this.

His eyes were a shade of golden brown, flecked with a peculiar shade of green which made his eyes change colors in the sun. I noticed that he had some sort of necklace that was a simple thin black leather rope with a rock or perhaps a shard of jade hanging around his neck. The man also had fading scars and wounds which made me apprehensive, he was dangerous and obviously survived much. I could tell by the aura of respect and fear around him that he must have been their true leader. I found it sort of silly that the only weapon he carried was a small handgun while his men carried large guns and other weapons.

When I met his gaze, he smirked and knelt down in front to me. Eden whimpered again but another man grabbed onto her to keep her in place.

"Get the fuck off of her, you bastard," I snarled, turning to give one of my nastiest glares at the man but the leader grabbed my chin so that I was forced to look at him. I could taste blood that had leaked into my mouth but I wasn't able to move my mouth and spit it out.

"What is your name, _bonita_?" the man asked, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the blood on my lips but he ended up just smearing it everywhere. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out what his game was. I noticed he had some sort of accent, I couldn't quite place it but he obviously spoke Spanish.

"What is _your_ name?" I returned with a sharp tone, my question made him smile slightly as if he were amused. He let go of my face and I didn't move, knowing that there would most likely be consequences.

"You got balls, I like that. My name is Vaas Montenegro, _hermana_. Care to share yours?" he asked and I gave a slight shake of my head. Names had power, once someone knew your name, they could figure out almost everything about you. "Aw, a little shy, are we?" Vaas pouted, caressing my cheek with his finger which I pulled away from. He chuckled before standing up, turning to his men who had been watching our exchange. "Line them up, motherfuckers!" he ordered and the men obeyed.

One grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet and shoving me forward. I cast him a glare before following Eden who was being lined up against a wall that was stained with blood. I glanced at it cautiously but was then pushed next to Eden. Vaas stood before us again and I wasn't really sure why he had us moved. Had we not been in an acceptable spot? Apparently not.

Vaas greeted me with a smirk and I greeted him with an angry expression, Eden huddled closer to me in nervousness.

"Carlos, where's this girl's ID?" Vaas asked someone who had been standing nearby. I remembered that my ID and Eden's fake ID were both in my back pocket. Eden had a fake ID just in case we needed it for her to get somewhere or just any scenario where she needed to be eighteen. I usually carried it and gave it to Eden when she needed it.

"No one checked for it," the man named Carlos answered, shrugging his shoulders. Vaas' smirk widened even more and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. My eyebrows drew together in confusion before my eyes widened in realization as he neared me.

"Don't even fucking think about it," I growled as a warning but there was nothing I could do. Vaas wrapped his arms around me and reached into both of my back pockets. I stood as still as I could while his hands explored my pockets as well as my butt. I kept eye contact with him the whole time while trying to maintain some of my pride; I ignored his smug smile and the other men getting a laugh about it.

Eden was confused until she realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed and she adverted her eyes like a young schoolgirl. Vaas had taken his sweet time but when he was satisfied, he pulled out my wallet and began to rummage through it.

"Disgusting," I spat lowly, meaning to insult him but Vaas just laughed before examining my ID.

"Veronica Cosima Vitale," Vaas read, smiling to himself as if my name were funny. "Twenty-three years old, 144 pounds, 5'6", Venice, Italy. Hmm, Italian, I don't think I've ever had Italian before," Vaas said in a suggestive tone that made some men nearby smirk in amusement. I gave him a disgusted look while glaring which made him smile once again; I noticed that his dark skin made his white teeth stand out. He then read off of Eden's fake ID. "This is a very good fake ID, one of the best I've seen. But you, Eden Chiara, do not look eighteen years old," Vaas said and Eden flinched away from him.

"_Questo è psicotico_. Leave her alone," I warned but Vaas ignored me, putting our IDs in his pocket.

"I think you two will make me quite a lot of money, Cosima. Let's not get on bad terms. Put them into the cages," Vaas ordered, touching my cheek one last time but this time, I tried to bite him. He pulled away just in time for my teeth to grasp nothing but air. "You like to bite, huh? Like a snake, you are," He said, giving me a smirk but I ignored his smug expression.

"_Mantenga las manos quietas_," I said and a slightly surprised look crossed Vaas' face as he realized I could speak Spanish before smirking. He shook his head at me and laughed at something I couldn't decipher.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you, Little Snake?" he asked, poking the tip of my nose with his pointer finger. "Black Mamba," he chuckled and twirled a piece of my dark hair between his fingers before walking away; leaving me to be walked to the "cages" he was talking about.

I had noticed he used my middle name. No one had called me Cosima in a long time nor had anyone used my full name in a long time. If you didn't count Drake. My mother always called me Veronica but everyone else who knew me called me Roni. The only person who called me Cosima before was a man who worked with my mother; he was a wild and flamboyant homosexual who talked with a British accent.

He was the one who began my passion for art. He would go on and on about the beautiful colors and details of the world that only artists could capture. He reassured me that I would do great things with my art while my mother would just pester me about cleaning up my art supplies lying around. I wasn't quite sure what happened to him but he didn't come to our house again after awhile. I think I remember my mother telling us that he moved.

The cages that Vaas mentioned came into view and I was surprised that such sturdy looking things could be built here. The man who was pulling Eden along opened the door to a cage with a hunched figure already tied up inside. He walked into the cage and tied her hands above her head to one of the cage bars. The man leading me did the same but I was across from Eden and next to the huddled man.

His head was hanging down and I couldn't see his face. Eden's back was to the camp while I could see it all from where I was. I sort of preferred that, I wouldn't want Eden to see what was happening in this place. From the looks of all the blood and guns here, I could only guess that bad things happened and were going to happen.

I turned to look at the man who was here before us and took in his current state. He was bleeding quite a lot, from where I wasn't sure. But he looked bruised and beaten and overall exhausted. A sheen of sweat covered him and made the blood on his skin slick. Suddenly, the mess of brown hair and the color of his shirt made me realize that it was Drake!

"Drake!" I exclaimed in realization and surprise. Eden's eyes widened as she remembered who he was. Drake just made a sound of acknowledgment and attempted to lift his head. I guessed that he hadn't had any luck with finding food or water so he must have been dehydrated. "Drake, it's Veronica. Come on, wake up. Don't go to sleep, come on," I pleaded, waiting for him to try to look up again.

At the sound of my name, Drake lifted his head fully and looked over at me. I gave him a concerned look, examining his bleeding head, swollen lip and black eye. The blood had dripped down over his forehead and around his eye. He gave me a smile that was more of a grimace from pain.

"They got you too?" he asked but I didn't smile back.

"What did they do to you, Drake?" I asked in a pitiful voice. I feared that some form of this would happen to Eden or me. Hopefully, I would be able to get us out of this place before anything bad happened.

Drake had already let his head fall back down and I let him, hoping he would be able to regain his strength. We would need it to find a way out of here. Eden looked like she was slipping off into sleep as well but her eyes were so wide open with fear, she wouldn't be able to go to sleep if she wanted to.

"Eden, relax. Just go to sleep, I'll make sure you're safe. I won't let anything happen to you," I reassured her and she nodded, trusting me. She never had a reason not to and I was her older sister, of course she would trust me.

I could see her finally ease into sleep and she must have been tired because it didn't take long for her to go to sleep even though it was still daytime. I, on the other hand, didn't feel tired anymore. My eyes scanned the camp filled with red dressed men. When they fell upon a certain mohawk shaved head, I narrowed my eyes. Vaas seemed to feel my gaze and turned to look at me.

A smile spread across his face that made me feel uncomfortable yet angry. We kept eye contact for a couple of moments before Vaas' face changed into an expression I couldn't describe. He turned away and walked out of sight. His expression made me feel like an annoyance or maybe an issue. Good, he should know that I wasn't going to just stand by and watch this happen whatever was happening here.

Didn't he mention something about making money? Did that mean he was going to sell us? A bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and I looked over at Eden's peaceful face. She looked younger when she slept. I couldn't let anything happen to her. I promised myself and I would keep that promise. And _no one_, not even Vaas, was going to get in the way.

~o~0~o~

We were left in the cages until it was dark. No one came to us and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. There was only one man guarding all of the cages but all he did was sleep and smoke. I guessed it was weed by the smell. I figured that it would be easy to sneak past him but my bonds were tied much too tightly and I hadn't even begun to think of how I would unlock the cage door.

My wrists had rope burn from me pulling on them so much. I was the only one in all of the cages who was trying to get out. Drake and Eden were asleep and everyone else seemed to just have accepted their fate. But I refused to.

"Hey! Stop fucking around," yelled the guard and let out an annoyed sigh. I stopped struggling and I could feel the purpose to escape starting to fade along with any adrenaline I had, weakening my muscles and exhaustion set in. I still hadn't slept and I needed to.

"It's no use, Roni. We're stuck here forever," Eden whined and I looked up at her to see tears streaming down her cheeks. I hadn't noticed that she was awake. A frustrated growl came from my mouth and I kicked the side of the cage. The bamboo didn't budge.

"Eden, I'm getting us out of here. Just…just stay calm," I told her but my own voice was shaky. Even though I was telling Eden to stay calm, it sounded more like I was telling myself to stay calm. Eden didn't say anything back to me and we both sat in silence.

I was trying to think of a way out but everything came back to the fact that I couldn't untie my hands. It was now dark and Eden fell back asleep, I guessed it was because she was still in shock from everything that happened. Eden has gotten through a lot which has always surprised me but a sixteen year old can't be expected to take much. I was restless and didn't plan on sleeping so I was awake when a different man came to trade places with the previous one. This new guard didn't fall asleep but he did take a couple lines of cocaine.

Another sigh slipped through my dry lips and I let my head fall against the rough bamboo. I looked up at the night sky, the millions of stars apparent with a couple of trees hiding them. I gazed up at them in wonder; I had never seen so many stars before. The places I lived always had too many lights and I could only see a couple. But here, this was amazing. This place would be paradise if Vaas and these men weren't here.

Despite my intentions to stay awake, the bright stars that I saw in the sky became the back of my eyelids.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Testing My Sanity

**Sorry for the shortness and lateness of this chapter! The next one will be longer, I promise! Thank you for all your reviews!**

_All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, as few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces beyond repair._

**Veronica's POV**

_My grip around Eden's shoulders tightened with each scream that came from downstairs. The terrified feeling in my chest seemed to spread through my limbs with each scream that came from my mother. Her angry shouts soon became ones of pain and my father only got angrier and louder. I pressed me and Eden further against the wall of the dark closet we were hiding in, in our bedroom. Where Mason was, I didn't know. _

_Eden whimpered and I shushed her, trying to comfort her but my hands were shaking. Suddenly, everything was silent with the slam of the front door and we both sat there frozen like ice. The only thing we could hear was the sound of a car speeding off into the distance and our heavy breathing. I was just about to creep out of the closet to make sure it was safe to come out but a cry made me retreat into the closet._

"_Mom!" _

_It was Mason. My eyes widened at the pain and horror in his voice so I ran down the stairs as fast as I could with Eden right at my feet. It was strange how much a child could idolize a parent at such a young age. Eden cared about our mother just as much as I did which didn't make sense to me. I was older than her, so I should care more. Those thoughts were shoved from my mind when I entered the kitchen. _

_There lay my mother in a small puddle of blood that surrounded her head on the floor. Mason had been kneeling down next to her but the look on his face was one I would never forget. The pain and the panic were the last real feelings he ever really truly showed. Mason had backed up from our mother's unmoving body, blood was on his knees from when he had knelt down beside her. He stood near the table with this haunted look in his eyes that made him look like he had seen a ghost._

_I realized that he had watched our mother die. There was nothing I could ever do to comfort him; he had seen things that I could never even begin to imagine._

"_Mama!" Eden screamed in alarm and ran towards her to sit next to her head. She began to shake her and try to pull her lifeless body up but she was only a little girl, there was no way she could have done it. I stood in the kitchen doorway, staring down at our dead mother whose eyes were still open in a fearful expression. Her mouth was slightly agape which made her even more scary-looking. _

"_Mama, please! Wake up! Come on! You have to wake up!" Eden pleaded at our mother who still didn't respond. Eden began to sob into our mother's chest, with both me and Mason staring down at her with wide eyes. And for the first time in our young lives, we didn't know what to do at all._

~o~0~o~

My night had been plagued with nightmares. I had gotten barely any sleep and staying in such an unfamiliar and horrible place didn't help. My mind itself wasn't tired but my muscles and bones were tired. My stomach was empty and I was so thirsty that it was hard to swallow. I needed at least water soon.

As the sun rose and the air got hotter, more and more men began to filter out of the huts where I assumed most of them had slept. Soon, the whole camp was awake but I couldn't find Vaas. I found myself searching for him and I scolded myself for it when I realized it. But something about him intrigued me. Even though we just met, something about him was just interesting. I didn't know what it was but I hated him for it.

Drake and Eden were still asleep as were the other prisoners in the other cages. I had noticed them yesterday before it got dark, they looked miserable and perhaps a little beaten up and underfed. I feared that we would end up like them. I wasn't going to let it happen. We would get out of here.

I must have sat there with my arm and my shoulder muscles aching from being in such an uncomfortable position above my head for maybe an hour or two when Drake woke up. He looked better and felt better; he was actually alert and aware. I wasn't really sure what to say and he didn't either so we were both quiet. I don't think we could have said anything anyway; both of us were dying of thirst and hunger.

The subtle pains of hunger aching in my stomach brought back the memories of when my mother was still alive. At night when she came home from her job, she would either have some sort of food for us to eat (it wasn't always much) or nothing at all. During the nights when there was nothing, she would stare at the kitchen table absently as if it would make food appear. Mason, Eden and I would sometimes stare with her. But it never did anything.

After a few more moments of silence, I noticed a man making his way over to our cage with a platter of fruit. He looked annoyed and bored; I guessed that he hated his job of feeding the prisoners. He opened the door to our cage and Eden woke at the sound. She looked confused, like she couldn't remember where she was but then she remembered. I could see Drake eyeing the food with want.

My own mouth was watering at the sight of the food as I imagined the heaven of taste and the feel of my thirst being relieved. But I felt a gaze on me and I turned to is direction. There sat Vaas on a crate with a cigar in his hand, watching me with a calculating expression. My eyes flickered back to the man who was now holding out a piece of mango for me to take. I wasn't sure if Vaas was just absentmindedly staring at me or if he was waiting to see if I would take the food. But that didn't matter; I would exactly what he didn't want.

I refused to open my mouth and the man became even more annoyed. The patient look on Vaas' face fell and he looked a bit confused, possibly even a little annoyed. I felt a spurt of victory within me. Drake and Eden were looking at me like I was crazy but I didn't care.

"Open your mouth, bitch," the man snarled at me but I lifted my chin up at the fruit in his hand as if it disgusted me. "Open your mouth before I put something else in it for you to suck on," he threatened, sounding angrier this time.

Drake stiffened at the threat but I just glared up at the man angrily, gritting my teeth in disgust. Still, I didn't open my mouth. I could still Vaas' eyes on me. The man seemed to have had enough and he dropped the platter of fruit on the ground. I glanced at some of the fruit that had rolled into the dirt. My eyes widened at him, hoping he wouldn't go through with what he had said.

He bent down so that we were closer and he began to force my mouth open. I struggled to keep my mouth shut but he was much stronger than me. Instead of following through with what he had said (luckily for me), he shoved a piece of mango down my throat and I gagged, trying to clear my airways. The fruit was so juicy that it just slid down my throat and I was able to breathe. I continued to cough, a strange feeling settled in the back of my throat from swallowing food whole. The reason for my sudden violent coughing was mostly panic, I wasn't actually hurt in any way.

The man had neither pity nor care for what he had done to me. He just picked the platter of food up and put the dirty pieces back on as well as if nothing was wrong with them. He then turned to Drake and Eden who were wide eyed, watching me cough and sputter with horrified expressions. When the man neared Drake with a piece of fruit, he accepted it more than willingly and Eden copied him. They both adverted their eyes from the man until he had left our cage.

I had calmed myself while they ate and glared after the man but he didn't see me. Drake looked over at me like I was insane while Eden cast me a concerned look.

"Are you fucking crazy? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Drake asked but I refused to answer him. My eyes were still narrowed but this time, they were set on Vaas who was now smirking at the scene that had just played out.

It was obvious that he had enjoyed what just happened. And considering that he didn't stop the man from force feeding me, I assumed that this was normal treatment. No one else spoke up either.

I looked away from Vaas and back to the man who had fed us. I found it strange that he skipped a cage that had three men in it and I became even more confused when a couple of men took the three out of the cage. Their hands were still bound behind their backs and they were walked to a stage that was raised up off the ground. I could see that it was stained with blood even from here and I could tell that this wasn't going to be good.

They were put on their knees on the stage and I could see one of them was crying. The men that had escorted them began to put blindfolds on them but my view was suddenly blocked. I looked up to see Vaas standing in the way. I glared up at him while he stared down at me, I felt beneath him and of less importance but that only made me angrier.

"Is something wrong, Little Snake? Huh? Are you not enjoying my hospitality?" he asked me and Eden instinctively leaned away from him.

"Not when it's being shoved down my throat," I shot back and Drake cast me a wide eyed look.

"Veronica," he hissed in a way that told me to shut my mouth. Vaas' eyes flickered back and forth between us before smiling in realization.

"Oh, _qu__é__ sorpresa_! You two know each other. How sweet, two lovebirds reunited at last," Vaas laughed and I raised an eyebrow at him. Drake had a light blush on his cheeks and refused to look at me.

"Actually, we aren't really…together. We are just friends, we just met yesterday," Drake said, beginning to ramble awkwardly. I rolled my eyes and cast him an annoyed look while Vaas looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Nothing going on between us at all, just good friends."

"Yes, Drake. We get it, thank you," I said in an annoyed tone.

"I was just telling him that―"

"Drake, shut the fuck up," I silenced him and he didn't open his mouth again. I probably should have been sorry for snapping at him but I strangely wasn't. Vaas chuckled quietly at me before speaking up.

"Well, _señoritas y señor, _I hope you enjoy the wonderful little show I'm going to put on," Vaas said, clapping his hands together once before walking away without another word. I crinkled my eyebrows and watched him walk towards the stage.

"What's he talking about?" Drake said quietly to no one in particular. I rolled my eyes at him but refused to respond.

I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen on that stage but my eyes widened as I saw Vaas take a machete from one of the men standing around. As Vaas stepped onto the stage, the machete ready in his hand, I could get a general idea of the "show" Vaas talked about. Eden had turned her head around to try and see what was happening but I wasn't able to open my mouth fast enough to tell her to look away.

Vaas had sunk the machete so deep into the man's chest that the blade wasn't visible. Even from here, I could see the bright, wide smile on his face as the man screamed in pain before going silent. Vaas ripped the machete from the man's body and the man fell limp at his feet. Fresh blood was splattered all over the floor of the stage as well as Vaas' clothes and hands. The other prisoners had heard the scream and began to shake and cry.

Instead of ending the next man's life just as quickly as he did the first, Vaas knelt down next to the man. I couldn't hear what he was saying but by the way the man quivered in fear, I could tell it wasn't something good. Eden had already hid her face in her arm; she had turned away from the scene just as the first man died. I could hear her quietly crying but I couldn't comfort her, I was just in as much shock as she was. Drake had paled and looked like he just saw a ghost.

"No one wants to fucking pay for you!" Vaas said loud enough for me to hear before slashing a long line across the man's stomach. The man's insides and blood was spilled out across the stage, Vaas only moved out of the way with a glare. The men watching didn't even seem fazed by this. Drake had looked away by this point, looking a bit green. Vaas then calmly walked up to the last man and said something into his ear before driving the bloody machete into his throat.

There was no sign of remorse on his face as he stared down at the blood gushing from the man's mouth and the choking sounds filling the air. In fact, Vaas looked amused at the man's final attempt to breathe before falling limp. My wide eyes stared in shock at the bloody mess on the stage, Vaas stood among all of it. He looked proud of the mess.

"Did you all just not fucking see that? Was that not fucking amazing?" Vaas asked the men standing around. They nodded but Vaas just rolled his eyes like their opinions didn't even matter anyway. "Can you all clean this shit up? It's disgusting," he said, hopping off the stage.

I looked over at Drake and Eden; they both seemed to be feeling something. Disgust, sorrow, horror, fear. I could feel all of those feelings stirring deep inside me but in general, I just felt numb. The sights were disturbing but I just didn't feel anything. Perhaps it was shock; maybe it hadn't taken its toll on me yet. I should feel remorse for those innocents who were just killed but instead, I felt guilty for not being remorseful.

But I did feel fear when Vaas started to make his way over to us again. My hands clenched and I tensed when I saw the bloodied machete in his hand. He gave me a crazed smirk which looked even more evil with all the blood on his hands. Eden whimpered before crying into her arm again when she saw Vaas coming, Drake was still trying to settle his stomach.

"You killed those innocent people," I said, my voice sounding more lifeless than angry. Vaas chuckled quietly at me, kneeling down next to me while smirking at his machete.

"Very good observation, Little Snake. I didn't think you had it in you to figure it out," he mocked me before softly touching the blade. I watched him with a concerned expression as he stared at the blood on his fingers. But a quiet cry from Eden brought him back to reality. He turned to look at her before standing and going to kneel next to her. "No, no, shh, shh," he shushed her while reaching through the cage bars to grip her chin. I glared murderously at him but he didn't look at me. "It's alright, don't cry. It's gonna be ok," Vaas reassured her but Eden's chin quivered anyway.

She tried to angle her face downwards but Vaas forced her to look at him. He smudged blood on her cheek while wiping away her tears. It made it look like she was crying blood instead of tears. When Eden had calmed down somewhat, Vaas let go of her and stood.

"Well, _hermana_, I will admit. You did take that a bit better than I expected. You're not weak-stomached like your boyfriend over here and you're not a crybaby like your _hermanita_," Vaas said and I realized that his "show" was supposed to be some sort of test. He was trying to freak me out, scare me. I cast him a defiant and unfazed expression._ He thought it would be so easy to scare me, it's gonna take a little more than that. _

Vaas caught my look and shook his head in an amused way before walking away. It was silent between all of us again and I glanced at Eden. She looked like someone had wired her mouth shut, she had a stricken expression on her face and I could tell that the reality of where we were and what was happening was finally setting in. The blood streaks were still on her cheeks but were soon washed away with the tears that were still running down her face.

Drake's tough guy persona (if he even had one in the first place) had completely disappeared and I could see a couple tears in his eyes too. He didn't say anything and I didn't know why I was expecting him to. I looked down at my lap and decided to just have some time with my thoughts. Why the hell was Vaas killing people like that? He said, "no one wants to pay for you", does that just mean that they are of no use to Vaas? Couldn't he just set them free instead of killing them? What was happening here?

"They're pirates," a hoarse voice croaked, making me jump in fright. I turned my head to the right to see a lone woman in a cage next to us. I hadn't noticed her before but she looked half dead, even breathing looked like a hard task. It was hard to tell if she was covered in blood or if it was just her dark skin. I could see a fading tattoo on her bicep, it was a tribal one but it was a kind that I had never seen before. The woman's voice made me look back up to her face. "They took over the island, we're doomed."

"What?" I asked, she sounded delirious.

"Vaas and the pirates…they are against the Rakyat. The pirates are the evil of this island, you cannot beat them," the woman said, coughing once. "You must leave, now. Save yourself."

"Wait, what is the Rakyat? What are you talking about?" I asked her, trying to get information out of her before she passed out again. She looked like she was getting sleepy again judging by the way her eyes were fluttering and her body relaxed. "What are you saying?" I asked again, my voice was more desperate but the woman had already fallen into unconsciousness.

I sighed, relaxing against the uncomfortable rungs of bamboo. My wrists were still sore from me fighting to get out as was my cheek from getting hit twice. I decided to just rest instead of filling my mind with escape plans and the mystery of what the woman had said to me. I needed to heal and hopefully, when my next meal came, I would have more strength. Enough to escape and hopefully enough to handle the horrors of this camp better.


End file.
